An expert in the field of head trauma in sports equates a perfectly struck kick to the head in mixed martial arts to driving your car into a brick wall at 40 km/h.

It's those types of realities that has Winnipeg Coun. Grant Nordman calling MMA "barbaric" and saying he'll boycott UFC 161 when it comes to the city in June.

"I left my Viking ancestors long ago," Nordman said. "That's just the modern-day version. I think as a society we've progressed beyond two dudes getting in the ring and beating their brains out."

Dr. Robert Cantu, the co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University, said forces from a foot strike -- "if it's perfectly done" -- can exceed 100 G's. With respect to head trauma specifically, however, Cantu said MMA poses less risk than boxing because there simply aren't the amount of repeated blows to the head.